IO Files: US/A/846
United States Delegation Working Paper
Report of the First Committee on the Establishment of an Interim Committee of the General Assembly1
1. United States Position
- 1.
- The United States should vote in favor of the Committee resolution for the establishment of an Interim Committee of the General Assembly.
- 2.
- Since the United States was the originator of the resolution, the United States Representative should make a statement in support thereof in the plenary, if it appears that speeches will be made against it.2
- 3.
- The question should be considered an “important” one within the meaning of Article 18 and the adoption of the resolution should therefore require a two-thirds majority. Owing to the wide support for the resolution, this point is not likely to be debated.
2. History in Committee
In the extended general debate, a majority of the speakers in the Committee, while approving in principle of the United States draft resolution, agreed that it should be carefully studied in the light of certain doubts raised by some members as to its Charter validity and political advisability. The Eastern group opposed the resolution as a flagrant violation of the Charter. By a vote of 38–0, with the Eastern group not participating in the voting, the Committee appointed a subcommittee composed of 15 members to study the United States proposal and any amendments thereto. The U.S.S.R. and Czechoslovakia refused to take part in the subcommittee’s work and remained absent throughout its proceedings.
The subcommittee held sixteen meetings in the course of which it subjected the United States proposal, with numerous amendments, to a careful scrutiny. The modified draft of the United States proposal was approved in the sub-committee by a vote of 9–0 with 4 abstentions.
In the debate on the subcommittee’s report in Committee 1, all speakers with the exception of the representatives of Egypt and of the [Page 223] Eastern group declared that any initial doubts in connection with the United States proposals have been dispelled, and supported the subcommittee’s resolution. The U.S.S.R. and Yugoslavia continued in their violent attacks against the establishment of the Interim Committee. The Committee approved the draft resolution by a vote of 43 to 6, with 6 abstentions with two members absent. After the vote, the Eastern group announced that they will boycott the Interim Committee as an illegal organ. Mr. Vyshinsky also refused to agree to the United Kingdom proposal that the Assembly obtain an advisory opinion on the legality of the Interim Committee from the International Court of Justice.
[3.] Possible Development in Plenary Session
It may be expected that the Slav States will carry their fight against the resolution into the plenary session. It is unlikely that the United Kingdom will renew its proposal for an advisory opinion of the Court. In view of the overwhelming support for the resolution in the Committee, no serious difficulties are anticipated.3
- For this report, see GA (II) vol. ii, pp. 1553 and 1554, annex 16.↩
- For the statement by Mr. Dulles on November 13, see Ibid., pp. 755 ff. A statement by the Soviet Representative (Vyshinsky) is found Ibid., pp. 763 ff. Mr. Vyshinsky again reiterated the opposition of the Soviet Union to the establishment of an interim committee of the General Assembly, closing his statement with the words “… the USSR will not take part in the work of that organ” (Ibid., p. 781).↩
- On November 13, after having debated through one meeting and part of a second (GA (II), Plenary, vol. ii, pp. 753–822), the General Assembly adopted by a vote of 41 to 6, with 6 abstentions, the resolution for the establishment of an interim committee of the General Assembly as recommended by the First Committee in its report. For text of the resolution, Resolution 111(II), see United Nations, Official Records of the General Assembly, Second Session, Resolutions, pp. 15 and 16 (hereafter cited as GA (II), Resolutions).↩